Unlikely Love
by OperaGurl04
Summary: This story takes place one week after DTMFG. Brooke and Nathan take comfort in each other's friendship. COMPLETE
1. Default Chapter

This story takes place one week after "Don't Take Me For Granted." This is a BRATHAN story. (Yeah, I know, it's strange. I'm a BRUCAS fan, but this idea popped into my head and I decided to go with it.) The story will probably have mostly Brooke and Nathan, with small appearances by everyone else. I don't know how long this is going to be, but I don't want to write a really long fic, so probably under 20 chapters. I'll try to get it written as fast as I can, because I have a lot of unfinished BROE stories that I need to work on. (For those of you who don't know, BROE is Brady and Chloe from Days of Our Lives.) Anyway, here goes...


	2. Prologue

Nathan sat at the kitchen counter, looking at the postcard once again. He had received it five days ago... after lying awake worrying about where she was. It was penned in Haley's bubbly writing... only it was anything but bubbly and cheerful. The postcard was wrinkled.. the result of being thrown into the trashcan many times only to be dug out time and time again. The picture on the front was of an autumn outdoors scene... color-changing leaves falling from a tree into small piles at the base of the trunk. A beautiful scene really... just not a very beautiful letter.

Nathan...

I wanted to write to you so you know I'm okay. I know that you've probably been worried. I'm sorry, Nathan. You have no idea how sorry I truly am. But know that I am. I had to leave. I had to see if Tree Hill is really where I belong. I don't regret getting married to you. I only regret that I didn't really have the chance to live before I did marry you. You probably know who I'm with, so I won't bother to say his name. I just had to see what else was out there for me. I do love you, though. More than I can express. There are just things I need to do right now. I'm sorry, and I'll miss you.

Haley

A few more tears fell down Nathan's cheek as he reread the note for the 200th time. He threw it into the trashcan again... not digging it out this time. Grabbing his car keys, he walked out the door, driving to the only place he could clear his mind. He didn't know that he wouldn't be alone there when he arrived.

Brooke got out of her car and walked over to the bleachers. Sighing, she sat down and stared at the basketball court. She had lucked out when she found no one else was here. She just wanted to be alone.

It had happened again. She has lost the guy to someone else. This time it hadn't been her best friend... maybe that made it worse. She had no one to blame but herself. She knew the risks, but she had taken a chance anyway. She had given her heart to Felix only to have him give it back to her three days later.

She could still hear him in her head. He had said he was sorry and that he hadn't expected anything like this to happen. He told her that he had truly been happy with her, but that the earth just stood still when he met Margot.

"Hmph. What kind of fcked up name is Margot?" Brooke said to herself. "Oh well, B Davis. Looks like you're destined to be alone." Brooke let a single tear drop off her face and onto the concrete of the court. She let her mind wander again. Moments later, she was brought out of her daze at the sound of someone calling her name.

"Brooke? What are you doing here?"


	3. Chapter 1 Basketball Court Bonfire

Brooke Davis looked up to find none other than Nathan Scott walking towards her. He sat on the bench above her, his legs sitting next to her on the lower bench.

"It's a free basketball court, Scott. I am sitting here thinking," she replied, not looking at him.

"I'm surprise you aren't off with Lucas somewhere, skipping along in the daisies and singing," Nathan said, playful sarcasm dripping from his mouth.

Brooke looked up at him with questioning eyes. "I am not even going to pretend that I know what the hell you are talking about," she said.

Nathan shrugged. "I just figured you guys would be back together after his love confession. I mean he left my house in a hurry to find you and beg you to take him back."

"Please tell me that you are kidding, because that is the last thing I need right now."

Brooke looked back down at the concrete of the court. Her head was now swimming.

"What's wrong? Felix run out of benefits?" Nathan joked.

"Apparently I did," Brooke started, "because he left me for another girl. I finally opened up and agreed to give him a chance. Then he says he found someone new. And get this... he met her at the mall. So that kind of ruins my place of comfort."

Nathan didn't say anything for a minute. "Sorry, Brooke. I had no idea."

"It's not your fault. Actually, you can do something for me though. Can you please tell me where I can find your wife. I need a girl to talk to, so I can bash the very existence of men."

Nathan looked to the concrete that had captured Brooke's attention a moment ago. "Haley left. She um... She went off with Chris," Nathan explained in a whisper.

Brooke mentally kicked herself. "Wow. Nathan, I am so sorry. I didn't know... How.. how are you doing?" Brooke looked up at his face, cringing when she saw the pain the covered it.

"I honestly don't know. Right now, I'm just trying to remember to breathe." They both were silent for the next few moments.

Brooke leapt up and turned to look at Nathan. "You know what, Nathan Scott?! I say fck them both. Hell, I say fck everybody. It's their loss. I mean, look at us. We're hot! And smart, funny, talented, athletic.... hell I just made myself fall in love with me, so I'm off to a good start. We don't need them. Neither of us need that kind of love. The destructive kind. I know that I have had my share of it. By the looks, so have you. So here's what we're going to do. We're going to gather all of the stuff that reminds us of them and we're going to have a little bonfire down here. It can be like a cleansing ritual. A fresh start. What do ya say?" Brooke held out her hand to him.

Nathan looked up at her and couldn't stop himself from smiling. She was sure a firecracker. Even when she was full of pain and anger, she still had enough spunk to kill someone with her bare hands. He stood up and took her hand. "Alright, Brooke Davis. You talked me into it. Just don't go all pyro on me and start throwing gasoline onto everything, okay? I know how bad your temper can be."

"I make no promises, Nathan. I am a hostile woman." She smiled up at him. "We're going to be okay. And they're going to have burnt stuff," she chuckled as she walked over her car and got in. "Meet me back here and eight o'clock, Scott," she yelled out her window and she pulled away from the court.

Nathan stood there for a minute, laughing at the brunette's antics. "I don't even want to know what I just got myself into," he said to himself as he got into his car and left the court.

Brooke looked at the box resting in the passenger seat of her car. There were a couple of mix tapes that Lucas had made for her, some newspaper articles featuring him and the Ravens basketball team, a wife beater she had made with his jersey number and last night to show support for him on game days, a pair of boxers that Felix had left at her house, the lingerie he had bought for her that she had tried to steal, the toothbrush he had left in her bathroom, and some other various mementos from past relationships.

She climbed out of the car, pulling the box with her. She opened the trunk to bring out the jug of gasoline and matches she had taken from her garage earlier. As she was straining to carry everything to the center of the basketball court, Nathan pulled up honking his horn at her. The noise made her jump, dropping the box of memories. She glared at Nathan as he stepped out of his vehicle, his own box in his hands. He chuckled as he helped her put everything back into the box.

"Sorry. I didn't know you were so jumpy."

"Shut up, Scott. Help me get this stuff ready to turn into rubble," Brooke said, setting the gasoline and matches onto the ground. She peaked over into Nathan's box of belongings.

"If you want to know what's in there, you just have to ask. I'm not shy," Nathan teased her.

"Whatever. I was just wondering why you have little pom poms in there," Brooke replied.

"Well, you know when Haley helped you guys out for the cheer competition thing. She looked really hot in that cheer uniform, so umm... she bought some pom poms as a game for us to play," Nathan explained with a small blush coming onto his face.

Brooke laughed at his shyness. "It's okay, Nathan. You don't have to be embarrassed by it. I am a cheerleader, you know. I used to put on my uniform and prance around in front of your older brother with no spanky pants on," Brooke winked at him, knowing that would make him even more embarrassed.

"Yeah, I don't need to know what you and my brother did in the bedroom, Davis. Let's just get this thing started."

"Gotcha."

An hour later, they had burned a lot of memories and shared a lot of stories with each other. As Brooke was throwing a couple pictures into the mix, Nathan saw one that caught his eye.

"Brooke, don't throw that in there. Do you remember when this was taken? We were in sixth grade. Oh my God, I completely forgot about this field trip. We were like best friends back then," Nathan rambled.

"Yeah, I remember. I don't know how that got thrown into the box. Wow, Nathan, we really do go back a long time. I'm glad that we're still friends, Nathan," Brooke smiled that big grin of hers at him.

"Me, too, Brooke. Me, too," Nathan paused, reminiscing about the good ole days. "How about we grab some pizza and movies and head back to my place. We can have a movie night just like we used to. What do ya say, Brooke Davis?" Nathan stood up and held his hand in front of her.

"I say... I get to pick the movies," Brooke replied as Nathan pulled her up. They agreed that Brooke would grab the movies, Nathan would grab the pizza, and they would meet back at his place.

Nathan watched Brooke pull away from the court and smiled. As he was getting into his car, he thought to himself: _Maybe things won't be as bad as I thought_.


	4. Chapter 2 Movie Night

Brooke pulled her silver VW Bug into the parking lot of Nathan Scott's apartment building. She climbed out of the car, purse and cell phone in hand. She grabbed her overnight duffel bag from the trunk and headed up the two flights of stairs leading to Nate's place.

Brooke knocked on the door and waited. Nathan soon answered, talking to someone on the phone. He motioned Brooke inside and walked into the kitchen. Brooke dropped her bag by the door and took a seat on the couch in the living room. Nathan soon returned and handed her a Smirnoff while he continued drinking his Corona.

"Hey, Luke. I'm gonna let you go, alright?" Nathan said into the phone. He grinned as Brooke rolled her eyes at the mention of his older brother's name. "Yeah, I'll call you if I hear anything from her. I'll see you tomorrow." Nathan hung up and looked over at his brunette companion. "Sorry. He wanted to know what the deal was with Haley."

"That's okay. So how's Luke doing anyway?" Brooke asked, trying to seem uninterested as she sipped her beverage.

"He's alright, I guess. He told me that he never got to talk to you last week because you were with Felix. He said he was so heartbroken when he saw you two together that he just turned and walked away."

"Well... it's probably for the best. Lucas and I were so great together and he still cheated on me. Imagine how awful we would be together now when I could never fully trust him again. I'm sorry that he got hurt, but I mean... so did I," Brooke explained, staring at the floor.

Nathan reached over and gently guided Brooke's face upward and looked into her eyes. "It's okay, Brooke. You don't have to explain yourself to me. Yeah, Lucas is my brother, but I know that he did wrong by you. He should have never done that to you. I know how it feels. I know all too well. Just imagine if you were married instead."

Brooke softly smiled at him. "Thanks, Nathan. I mean that. It really means a lot to me that you're here for me. And just know that it works vice versa, too. So, let's get some pizza in our stomachs and some movies into your DVD player," Brooke said as she grabbed her duffel bag.

"Whoa, Brooke. Are you planning on moving in here or something?" Nathan teased.

Brooke blushed. "Well, I thought I would bring some extra clothes in case I got tired and crashed here. And I really don't want to go home. I mean, my ex is my next door neighbor. He's had that Margot chick over at his house for the last few days, and I am so tired of seeing them all over each other."

"It's okay, Brooke. Of course you can crash here. Well, I'll go grab some pizza. Why don't you start a movie? I'll be right back." Nathan jumped over the couch and jogged into the kitchen, grabbing two plates and putting two slices on each. He returned only to stop dead in his tracks.

"Nice choice, Nate. I would've figured you for straight-up hetero porn. But at least it's two girls and not two guys. I'm beginning to understand your thing for cheerleaders, though," Brooke teased him.

"Turn it off, Brooke. I was only watching it because I was bored. Tim left it over here a few days ago," Nathan said as he took a seat and watched while Brooke switched DVDs.

"So you and Tim watch porn together?" Brooke sat next to Nathan and took the plate he offered her.

"No, pervert. Tim comes over here when he skips class. I probably never should have given him a key. And who are you to talk?! You had sex with Felix in my bed!" Nathan looked at Brooke, accusingly.

Brooke looked over at him and shrugged. "I bought you new sheets. Damn."

Three hours later, Nathan looked over to find Brooke fast asleep. He got up and turned the television off. Nathan was covering Brooke with a blanket, when his phone rang. Not bothering to look at the Caller ID, he answered it.

"Nathan Scott here. What's up?" he said as he walked into the kitchen, not wanting to wake Brooke up.

"Hey, Nate," someone whispered onto the other end.

"Haley?!"

"Yeah."

"Where the hell are you?! Your postcard didn't really explain much," he said with disdain dripping out of his mouth.

"Umm... I'm in New York. We got here yesterday, but I was so tired that I didn't have the chance to give you a call," she explained nervously.

"I understand. It's hard to find a couple spare minutes to call the husband you deserted back in Tree Hill. Especially while you're busy with your new talent less boyfriend. What exactly do you want, Haley?"

"I just wanted to see how you were. And to explain a few things to you," she said.

"Well, I don't need anything explained to me. I'm not an idiot, ya know. You fell in love with some loser with a guitar. Good for you. Good for him. Just hope he watches his back, because you probably won't stay interested in him for too long. Look, I really don't have the time to deal with this. I'll pack up your stuff and give it to your parents. I'll also give them the divorce papers. Have a good life," Nathan replied before hanging up the phone and slamming it onto the kitchen counter.

"Are you okay?" Brooke asked, coming up behind him to wrap her arm around his waist.

"Sorry I woke you up. That was my loving wife on the phone, calling to check up on me. Isn't that sweet of her?" Nathan said, shaking.

"Yeah. It's real nice, but you didn't answer my question. Are you okay?" Brooke walked to stand in front of him and lifted his head up to look her in the eye.

"It hurts, Brooke. It hurts so much," Nathan cried before breaking down into Brooke's waiting arms.

"I know, Nate. I know it does," she whispered into his ear while rubbing his back. They stood there, just holding each other. Nathan clutched to Brooke, soaking in the comfort she offered.


	5. Chapter 3 Being There

Nathan stirred as sunlight came in through his bedroom window. He tried to check the alarm clock on his nightstand, but couldn't move because of the soft body that pinned his arm onto the bed. He slowly blinked, waking up completely, only to find Brooke Davis in bed with him. He gasped in shock and checked their bodies, making sure they were still clothed. Pleased that they were, he tried to pull his arm free without stirring her too much. He failed.

"Nathan, if you want to get up, just say so. I can move, you know," Brooke said as she rolled over, off of Nathan's left arm.

"Sorry. Umm... I was just surprised to find you in here with me."

"Don't sweat it, Nate. We just slept. You were upset over Haley's phone call, and I don't like sleeping on couches. Nothing happened, so don't get all freaked out or anything," Brooke replied, trying to go back to sleep.

"Oh, okay. Umm, good. I mean..." Nathan trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"Jesus Christ, Nathan!" Brooke yelled, jumping out of the bed. "How the hell does a person sleep with you around? Talk, talk, talk," she babbled as she walked into the kitchen. Nathan sat there, staring after her. She returned a couple minutes later with two cups of coffee. "Here ya go, Scott."

Nathan took the offered cup and sipped at it for a moment.

"There's no need to feel weird, Nathan. Nothing happened. No clothes came off, no hands roamed, no tongues touched," Brooke explained, as she sat next to him on the bed. "We have both had a pretty crappy week. We're friends, so we were there for each other. Personally, I'm glad that we were. I haven't slept in like a week, and it was nice to finally be able to."

"I know what you mean. Well, okay. No reason to feel weird, so that's taken care of. Brooke, I really appreciate you being there for me last night. I mean, that phone call really threw me for a loop, ya know. I mean, I knew she would eventually call. I just don't know what to say to her. I'm so pissed off at her, but at the same time I find myself hoping that she'll realize what a mistake she made and come back to me."

"Yeah, it sucks. But Nathan... I don't think she's going to come back. We both know Haley. She doesn't do anything she doesn't want to. I don't think Chris forced her to go with him," Brooke said, putting her coffee onto the nightstand and throwing her arm over Nathan's shoulder to offer him what comfort she could.

"You're right. I know that, but I really don't want to believe it," Nathan whispered, turning to wrap his arms around Brooke.

"Don't worry, Nathan. You'll get through this. I'll be here to help you every step of the way." Brooke smiled down at him and kissed his forehead. Nathan looked up at her and pressed his lips to hers. Brooke was shocked at first, but soon responded to his kiss. She opened her mouth to his tongue and they gave into each other for a few minutes. They were broken apart by Brooke's cell phone.

Brooke sighed and reached for the phone that had been discarded onto the floor the night before. "Brooke Davis," she said into it. "Oh... Lucas. What's going on?" "Yeah, umm.. I heard about it." She sat down on the bed next to Nathan who was now concentrating only on his coffee. "That sounds great. I'll see you guys down there." "Bye."

Nathan looked over at her once she had hung her phone up. "So, what did my older brother want?"

"He invited me to River Court with you guys today. He said that you would probably need some cheering up and that I was the most cheerful person he knew. If you don't want me to go with you guys, that's okay. I'll make up an excuse to tell him."

"Of course I want you to go with us. It'll be fun." They were both silent for a minute, finishing their caffeine-filled drink. "Brooke, about that kiss... I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"That's okay, Nathan. We don't need to talk about it," Brooke said, getting up from the bed. Nathan pulled her back down onto it.

"Don't even go there, Brooke. Don't act like it didn't happen. It did. I know that we're both messed up right now, but it did happen. It wasn't just because I'm lonely. It's because you're this amazing person who has been there for me. And I only hope that I can return the favor."

"You have, Nathan. You have returned the favor. Last night, just being here with you helped me. You don't know how hard it is to hang out with a guy and not feel like they're expecting more from me. Last night, I finally got to. I didn't feel pressured to have sex with you or to be this perfect little trophy girlfriend. It was nice to just hang out with someone and have fun. But we should probably not kiss anymore, because it would only lead to bad things. You're still married, and I had sex with your older brother. If that doesn't qualify for talk show scandal then I don't know what does," Brooke joked as she got up and walked into the kitchen.

Nathan followed her through the hallway. She had started washing the few dishes they'd managed to dirty last night and this morning. Nathan took his place next to her and helped by drying them off. After ten minutes of silence, he decided that was enough. He spun Brooke's body so it was facing his. He looked deep into her eyes. "Brooke, I know our situation. But I also know that we've been friends since the second grade. I stole your Barbie doll, and you kicked me in the shin. That's how we started. We've known each other for ten years, Brooke Davis. And we've been friends through a lot of stupid shit. Now when times are tough, I'm not going to let anything come between us. I'll still be here for you no matter what."

Brooke let a grin light up her face. She threw her arms over Nathan's shoulders and hugged him tight. "Thanks, Nathan. Same goes for you. I'm here for you no matter what. Now I'm going to my house to shower and get ready. I'll be back in an hour to pick you up for River Court. I'll stop by Karen's Cafe on the way and grab some breakfast. See ya in a few," Brooke yelled as she grabbed her stuff and ran out the door.

Nathan stood in his kitchen and chuckled. He jogged into the bathroom to get ready for the day.


	6. Chapter 4 Basketball Lessons

Brooke came to an abrupt stop near the River Court basketball hoop. She jumped out and started walking toward Lucas who was shooting free throws. Nathan slowly climbed out of the small, silver car and took a deep breath. He made his way over to Brooke and Lucas in the middle of the court.

"That's the last time I ever get into a moving vehicle with you, Brooke Davis! Not only do you not know how to stop at stop signs, but you obviously don't know that you should slow down at turns. I wanted to jump out of the car for my own safety!" Nathan yelled.

"Shut up, Scott. I am a great driver. You're just square," Brooke teased while she slapped his chest. Nathan grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him, tickling her in the process. They were both laughing when Lucas cleared his throat, making them stop abruptly.

"Okay... what's going on here?" he asked, dribbling the basketball.

"Nothing. We hung out yesterday, so I figured I could just drive the loser here to meet you," Brooke said, stealing the ball and shooting a lay-up. She missed.

"Okay, you have dated a star basketball player, are good friends with another one, and are head cheerleader. How can you not make a lay-up?" Nathan teased her while rebounding the ball and tossing it back to her.

"I don't know," Brooke shrugged. "I don't watch you guys during practice, because I'm too busy leading my squad. During games, I'm way too pumped to pay attention to how you guys do things. I just cheer and inspire you all to win. Plus, you and Luke have never actually taught me how to play," Brooke explained.

"Well, that's about to change. What do you say, Nathan? Help me teach the cheerleader how to play ball?" Lucas jumped in.

"I guess I could spare an hour or so to give her some pointers," Nathan teased while shooting the ball and making it with no problem.

"Showoff," Brooke mumbled.

Two hours later, the three friends were all tired and sweaty. Lucas collapsed onto the court, soon followed by Nathan and Brooke.

"Okay, Brooke. You can now rebound, shoot from the top, lay-up, dribble, and you even made a couple three-pointers. The only thing left to teach you is how to dunk. And I don't think that's going to happen, unless you have some 12-inch heels at your house," Nathan said.

"Hey, buddy. I am not that short. And I do have some pretty tall heels, but I don't have any that will add a foot to my height," Brooke said, while drinking from her water bottle.

"So, Nathan, have you heard anything from Hales?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah, she called last night. Nothing really got resolved or anything. She's in New York with Chris. I told her that I would send her stuff and divorce papers to her parents' house," Nathan explained to his older brother.

"That sucks, dude. Are you seriously going to divorce her?" Lucas asked, looking at his younger brother who was obviously going through a lot.

"Why wouldn't he?" Brooke interrupted. "She ran off with some guitar-playing jackass. She didn't even bother to tell him she was leaving. He sat at home for two days worrying about her until he finally got some ridiculous postcard explaining jack shit. I usually like Haley, but right now... she doesn't deserve someone as good as Nathan Scott."

"Okay, Brooke, calm down there. Thanks for the lovely little speech there, but it's alright. Haley's a good person. I don't know what in the hell is going on with her right now, but... I don't know. I am seriously going through with the divorce, though. I called my lawyers earlier today," Nathan said.

"What?! You didn't tell me that. I would've been there while you were talking to them," Brooke replied, while sitting up and staring at Nathan.

"I know, Brooke, but it's okay. I'm a big boy. I can handle this. I just told them to draw up the papers and send them to me. They should arrive in two days. I'll take everything to her house then."

"Well, I am going with you, mister. Don't think for one second that you are going to do that alone. It's going to be trying and emotional and awkward. I will help with everything," Brooke insisted.

"What are you guys, Will and Grace, or something? Since when did you become so close?" Lucas asked.

"We've known each other since we were little, Luke. We've both had really bad weeks, and we're acting as friends do in these situations. Any problems?" Brooke asked, annoyed.

"No, Brooke. I was just curious. I mean, I never knew you two were such good friends."

"Well, we haven't been that close in awhile, but things change. Things change a little too much here in Tree Hill," Nathan joked.

"No kidding. Well, guys, I promised my mom I'd help her at the cafe this afternoon. She's shorthanded since Haley left. I'll call you later, Nate. Bye, Brooke," Lucas said, standing up and giving them both hugs. He started toward his car.

"Lucas, wait!" Brooke yelled, jogging over to him. "Look, Nathan told me about what you were going to tell me last week. Ummm... I'm not with Felix anymore, because he got bored with me. But... Look, I'm just going to be honest here, because that's how I am. I don't think we could be together again. Not just because of what happened with you and Peyton, either. I have serious trust issues with the male species right now, and it just wouldn't work out. I do however want to be your friend. You're a great guy, Lucas Scott, even if you can be a total jackass at times. I want you in my life... just not as my boyfriend," Brooke rambled all at once while she still had the courage to.

"Wow, that was a long speech, Brooke. And surprisingly... I'm okay with it. I understand where you're coming from. I know that I betrayed your trust, and I'll live with the consequences of that. If you don't want us to be together, that's fine. As long as we're friends, I'll be good," Lucas said, pulling her into his arms. "You're special to me, Brooke Davis. You always will be, no matter what title you hold. I'll see you later." Lucas climbed into the truck and drove away.

Brooke stood there for a moment, watching the truck get smaller and smaller. She felt a pair of arms wrap around her shoulders, pulling her into a hard body. She leaned into the touch and sighed.

"You okay, Davis?" Nathan asked.

"I will be, Nathan. I'll be fine. It's just hard to let go of the only person to ever love you," she said, tears dripping down her face. Her body trembled with a small sob and she felt herself being pulled tighter against Nathan's chest. She took a few minutes to calm herself down before turning to look at Nathan. "Can we get out of here? I really don't need to be surrounded by the basketball court that your brother holds so dearly in his heart."

"No problem, Brooke. Let's go back to my place. You can help pack up my wife's belongings. You got to have your breakdown today. Let's go have mine now," Nathan said, pulling Brooke towards her car.

"Alright." Brooke opened the driver's side door and started to climb inside.

"No way in hell are you driving, Brooke. I may be upset right now, but I don't want to die. I'm driving from now on," Nathan said, pulling her out of the driver's seat.

"Fine. I'm not even going to argue with you. But you be damn careful. I had to beg my parents to let me keep this car. I'll die before I let anything bad happen to it," Brooke warned him as she walked around and got into the other side.

"No problem. I will drive safely. A lot better than you anyway," Nathan joked with her.

The car pulled out of River Court and onto the streets of Tree Hill. The two passengers both looked at the small town scenery as they thought about the events of the last week. They shared a small sigh and looked at each other in surprise. Brooke grinned as Nathan grabbed her hand and held it during the drive back to his apartment building.


	7. Chapter 5 Comforting Kisses

Nathan walked into the room and collapsed onto the bed. He looked over at the petite brunette and chuckled.

"What the hell are you laughing at, Nate?" Brooke asked, remaining devoted to her task of folding and boxing clothes.

"Nothing. Just that a couple years ago I used to daydream about being alone with you in my bedroom. I didn't think that when it finally happened, we would be doing this," he admitted.

"Well, someone has to pack everything for TutorBitch. She is obviously too good to do it herself," Brooke muttered.

"Don't hate her just for me, Brooke. It's not fair."

"Neither is walking out on your husband for a hick with a guitar, Nathan!" Brooke yelled.

"I know. Trust me, I know all too well," Nathan said, staring up at the ceiling.

Brooke shut the box she had been working on and laid down next to Nathan. He turned on his side to look at her.

"So, Ms. Davis, what is on the agenda for tonight? You want to get drunk and forget about our loser exes?" Nate asked, hoping she would agree.

"Well, that is a lovely invitation. Although it sounds like fun, I'm going to have to say no. I have a paper due tomorrow for comp class, and I haven't even started it. I'll give you a call when I get done, though, to make sure you haven't drank yourself into a coma," Brooke said, getting up from the bed.

"Alright. Thanks for helping out. I'll see you later," Nathan called to her as she was walking down the hallway of his apartment.

"Bye, basketball star!" Booke shouted, running out the door.

Brooke stepped out of the shower and smiled as she wrapped a towel around her small form. She had managed to type her paper, do her trigonometry homework, and take a relaxing shower in only three hours. It was now nine o'clock and way too early to go to sleep. She decided to call Peyton since they hadn't spoken in a few days. She sat on her bed and dialed the familiar number into her cell phone.

"Hey, Brooke," Peyton said into the phone with a grin on her face.

"Hello, best friend. How's it going?"

"It's great. I'm sorry we haven't talked in awhile. I've been hanging out with Jake and Jenny a lot since they get back," Peyton apologized, feeling guilty she had brushed off her best friend.

"It's totally okay, Pey. I know how much you missed them. And I haven't exactly just moped around the house," Brooke teased.

"Really? Did you get back together with Felix?" Peyton asked, intrigued.

"God no. I wouldn't take him back for anything after the bullsht he pulled. I've been hanging out with Nathan. It's kind of like a broken-hearts club or something. He and Lucas even taught me how to play basketball. I'm quite good at it."

"Awesome. So you and Nate? That's unexpected."

"Yeah. We ran into each other a couple days ago at River Court. We've pretty much been attached at the hips ever since," Brooke explained.

"Are you guys... you know?" Peyton asked.

"No, gutter mind. Oh my God. Not all of my guy friends end up in bed with me."

"Liar."

"I know. It's different with Nathan, though. We've really been there for each other. With Felix kicking me to the curb and Haley running off with Chris... it's just been nice to have someone there."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Brooke. I've been so selfish. I'm glad you had Nathan, though. He can be a really great friend to have," Peyton said.

"Yeah, I know. And don't worry, Peyton. You're still my best friend. I don't mind that you've been hanging out with Jake this week. It's cool. Well, someone is ringing the door bell. I'll give you a call back later, okay?"

"Alright. Bye, Brooke."

They both hung up. Brooke ran down the stairs and straight to the front door. She didn't even notice that she was still wearing only a towel. She opened the door quickly to see none other than Nathan Scott standing there.

"Wow. Brooke, do you always answer the door in just a towel with your body shimmering?" he teased.

"No, jerk. I just got out of the shower."

"Damn. You look hot, Davis. Definitely hot," he replied, walking into the house.

"What's up, Nathan? I thought you were going to drink away your misery. I figured you would have Tim call a bunch of strippers or something," Brooke said, walking up the stairs with Nathan following her.

"Why do I need a stripper? You're already half naked? You could do a little dance for me," he joked, dropping onto her bed. He watched her as she dug through her closet, in search of something to put on.

"In your dreams, basketball boy," Brooke said. She walked into the bathroom to change. She put on a matching set of black undergarments, a black spaghetti strap tank top, a short white pair of Ravens Cheerleading shorts with the word RAVENS across the butt, and a pair of black thong sandals. She quickly threw her hair into a messy bun and walked back into the bedroom.

Nathan was lying on the bed reading an issue of Cosmopolitan that he had found on her night stand.

"Learn anything interesting, Scott?" Brooke teased as she took a seat next to him on the large bed.

"Oh yeah. A lot. I can now please a guy in the bedroom with only a scarf," Nathan joked, tossing the magazine aside.

"Well, that will come in handy for you. All those locker room shower sessions," Brooke joked, raising her eyebrow at him.

"Don't even go there, Davis," Nathan warned his friend.

"Why not? I want to hear all about the sordid locker room activities. Come on, Nathan Scott. Make my night. Tell me the dirty little secrets," Brooke said, laying back to come face-to-face with Nathan. She smirked and raised her eyebrows.

"There are no dirty, little secrets, Brooke. Really," Nathan said, trying to change the subject. He knew what she was going to ask, and he didn't want to be the one to answer.

"Come on, Nathan. You know where I'm going with this conversation. I'm just curious. What do all the guys say in there? What do they say about me?"

"Brooke, it's just guy talk. You know how they all are. They talk big. All of them go on about how hot you are and how they'd give anything just to get you for one night. No one takes anything said in there seriously," Nathan tried to assure her.

Brooke rolled over to face away from Nathan. A few tears fell down her face as her body shook.

"Brooke, don't cry. Come on, please. I'm sorry," Nathan said, rubbing her back.

"You don't have to be sorry about anything, Nathan. It's just... that's what I'll always be. I'll just be good for one night. Never anything more. Even your brother... even he cheated on me. It's like no one sees me as having actual feelings. Guys don't care if they're with someone else while they're with me. They automatically assume that it's not going to bother me. It does," Brooke said, turning towards Nathan.

Nathan wrapped his arms around her and held her. "I know it hurts, Brooke. I know. But you are more than just a one night stand. Any guy who can't see that.... they're not worthy of you." He held her as she calmed herself.

Brooke slowly looked into Nathan's eyes. "Thank you. It's nice to have you be here for me. Thanks, Nathan," she said. Brooke slowly leaned her head up and kissed his lips. It was a chaste kiss at first. She pulled back and looked into his eyes for a second before he pulled her face back up to his. They shared another kiss. This one was longer and more intimate.

They lay there, kissing on her bed. Neither of them heard the downstairs door open or the footsteps up the stairway. Neither of them heard the gasp of surprise at the doorway to Brooke's bedroom. They were too occupied by each other to hear the person retreat and run out of the house.


	8. Chapter 6 Others' Points Of View

"Hey, Brooke. What's up?" Peyton greeted her friend as she approached the brunette's locker.

"Oh, thank God you're here, Pey! I need someone to talk to!" Brooke exclaimed as she drug Peyton into the nearest bathroom.

"Okay, ladies! Attention!" Brooke yelled at the small crowd of females that were in there. "I need anyone who is not Brooke Davis or Peyton Sawyer to get out of here right now! Thanks so much!" The small crowd left, knowing they would not win an argument with Brooke.

"Okay, now that that's taken care of... what's wrong, Brooke?" Peyton asked her friend.

"We kissed," Brooke said, biting her lip. "Last night, the person at the door when we hung up... it was Nathan. And we talked for awhile but we ended up kissing. And... more than kissing. Oh my God. What have I gotten myself into now?! Peyton, help me!" Brooke's charade ended with her leaning against the wall and sliding to the floor.

"Okay, give me a minute here." Peyton digested her friend's rambling and thought for a couple minutes. "Okay, so you and Nathan were just friends then last night you were more than friends. Felix screwed you over, so you two are done. Haley screwed Nathan over, and he is filing for divorce. You two had sex. I don't see what is wrong here. Both of you are single now. If you like each other then you should go for it. If not, then you should have a talk to make sure you remain friends. Brooke, no matter what, everything will work out. I know it will."

"Okay," Brooke started her reply, "first of all... we didn't have sex. We did more than kissing, but we didn't have sex. I told him it wasn't right, because he was still married to TutorBitch. He understood and so we didn't go through with it. Second of all, how are you not weird about this? You went out with him forever. Third of all, I've went out with and had sex with his older brother. That makes the situation even stranger. Fourth , we did discuss remaining friends no matter what, so I know I'm okay with that. Fifth, I really like him, Peyton. I don't know how or when, but I know that I really started liking him somewhere amidst this drama," Brooke ended her monologue and looked up at her friend with a confused expression on her face.

"My turn now, Brooke. I'm glad you guys didn't have sex, because I don't want you to look back and regret anything that happened. I'm not weird about this. I mean, he married my friend. I was happy for them at first, but I was never weird with it. Nathan and I had our time together. We didn't last, and that was no one's fault. We were just different people. You and Nathan are the same. You're probably the only couple that would make sense around here. And about his brother... I dated and had sex with Nathan then almost started things up with Lucas. I know what you're going through. Don't worry about it, because they're brothers. They'll understand and be there for each other no matter what. You will not hurt their relationship. And finally... I know you like him, Brooke. And I don't know what to say about that. I mean, you're both going through a lot right now. Nathan is about to file for a divorce, you've been torn between two guys and in the end neither of them was right for you. I honestly don't know what to say. Just know that things will work out and I will be here for you if you need me to be. So will Nathan. He's going to be your friend in any situation. He's loyal like that. Don't worry," Peyton concluded, crouching down and hugging her friend.

"Thanks, Peyton. I just am so confused. Last night was amazing. We didn't have sex, but it was like the best night of my life. He comforted me when I had a breakdown and then we just ended up messing around. But it was more than that. It was really special... for both of us. This morning I woke up in Nathan's arms and he was just staring at me, smiling. The only other person to ever do that and make me feel that special was Lucas. And look how that ended."

"Brooke-"

"Peyton, I'm not trying to bring up anything in the past. I'm just saying... I never get the happy ending. Never. And now, I really want it. I want to be happy and loved," Brooke said, crying into her best friend's shoulder. "That's all I've ever wanted, Pey."

"I know, Brooke. Come on, honey, stop crying. It'll be okay. I know that Nathan cares about you. It's obvious. You two have been hanging out a lot, and he's been turning to you for help and opening up to you. He doesn't just do that with anyone. Even when we were together, he wouldn't turn to me for help. He has trouble letting people in, but once they are... it's for life. I know that no matter what happens with this new development, you two will be friends. You won't lose that. Now let's get off the bathroom floor, fix your make-up, and go to class."

Brooke stood up and went to the mirror. She redid her mascara and brushed through her hair before turning to her friend and giving her a hug. "Thanks, P. Sawyer. You're a great best friend to have."

"I have my moments," Peyton replied, leading the brunette out into the hallway. They both chuckled as they saw the line of girls waiting for permission to enter. They both just shook their heads and started towards their first class.

Nathan took his seat next to Lucas in class. "Hey, bro, what's up?"

"Not much, man. What'd you do last night?" Lucas asked, knowing the answer.

"I hung out with Brooke for awhile," Nathan said, not wanting to go into details with his older brother.

"Yeah, I know. I saw you two together... in her bed," Lucas said, turning to look at Nathan.

"What do you mean, you saw us? What were you doing, spying?!" Nathan accused.

"No, jackass. I went to her house to see how she was doing and to see if she wanted to hang out. No one answered the door, but I saw her car there, so I let myself in. I didn't think it would be problem, but when I walked up to her room...I was surprised," Lucas explained.

"Look, man, I'm sorry. It's not like it's been going on for awhile or anything. Last night was the first time we ever did anything like that. It's just... we've been hanging out a lot, and we've gotten really close. We have a lot in common, so... it just kind of happened. I'm really sorry you had to see that, though."

"Yeah. Me, too. I just don't understand how my little brother can make a play for my ex-girlfriend. Especially when he knows that I'm still in love with her. And to top it all off, he's still married. Isn't that nice?!" Lucas said, obviously pissed off.

"Look, dude, it wasn't like that. I didn't make a play for Brooke, and she didn't make a play for me. It just happened. And Haley and I aren't together anymore. I already filed for the divorce. It's just a matter of time now. And like I said, I'm sorry. I know that you still care about her, but she even told you that she can't be with you again, bro. You're going to have to deal with the fact that you screwed up big time on this one, Luke. You cheated on her with her best friend. You know what that did to her. Do you honestly think she could ever fully trust you again?" Nathan stopped when he saw the hurt expression on his brother's face. "Look, I'm not trying to make you feel bad or anything. I'm just trying to make you see it from another point of view. It's not all dramatic and sht like you're making it out to be. Neither of us expected this to happen, but I'm not sorry that it did," Nathan concluded, still looking at his brother.

Lucas took a minute to think about what he had just heard. "Alright, Nathan. It's cool. I get where you're coming from. I know that this is partly my fault for betraying Brooke. But it hurts. I still love her, and I know that I can't make her happy. The thought of someone else doing it just kills me. Especially when it's my brother," Lucas admitted.

"I know what you mean. I really am sorry, Luke. But at least this way, you know the guy won't screw her over or hurt her. Because I would never do that to Brooke," Nathan assured his older brother.

"I know you wouldn't. But if you do... I will beat your ass, and you know that I'm serious," Lucas warned.

"Good. I'm glad that you'll defend her if I fck up. I'm going to try really hard not to, though."


	9. Chapter 7 River Court Rendezvous

Nathan pulled into the driveway and got out of his car. He was actually nervous. How could that be? Nathan Scott, Tree Hill's star basketball player and the most popular guy in school, was nervous about going to a girl's house. "Whoa," he mumbled to himself.

He walked up to the front door and rang the bell. A minute later, the small brunette answered in only a sports and an illegally short pair of shorts. He looked her up and down a couple times before giving his trademark smirk.

"You look hot," Nathan said.

"Well, duh. I am hot, Nate," Brooke playfully replied. She stepped aside so he could enter the house. "What's going on?" she asked, walking into the living room with Nathan right behind her.

They both took a seat on the couch, almost sitting on top of each other.

"I just stopped by to see if you wanted to go down to River Court and play a little one on one. I figured you could use the practice, because you still kind of suck," Nathan teased, chuckling.

"I do not suck! I was pretty good once you guys told me how to make the shots. Actually, I was just about to go for a jog. Let me grab my tennis shoes, and then we can leave." Brooke ran upstairs only to return a couple minutes later now clad in tennis shoes and a zip-up hoodie. "Let's go."

They held hands as they jogged to River Court. Once they were within a block, Brooke dropped Nathan's hand and sprinted the rest of the way. Nathan only caught up to her once she was already at the court, shooting free throws.

"What took you so long? Don't you train between games, Scott?" Brooke teased.

"You're so funny. You obviously do a lot of jogging," Nathan said, rebounding the ball and tossing it back to Brooke.

"I jog when I'm confused and angry, so yeah, I've been doing a lot lately." She shot the ball and missed. "Damn."

"What are you confused about?" Nathan shot and made it.

"You. Me. Us," Brooke answered honestly as she chased after the ball and returned to the center of the court.

"Well, what a coincidence. Me, too. I have found a solution, though," Nathan said, coming to stand in front of her. He put his hands on her hips and looked into her eyes.

"What's your solution?" Brooke asked, trying not to tremble from his touch.

Nathan shrugged. "We go on a date," he said. He gently kissed her lips and tucked her hair behind her ear. "What do you say? Are you in?"

"I'll play you for it," Brooke said, stepping out of his arms and dribbling the ball. "If you win, we go on a date of your choosing. If I win, we go on a date of my choosing. That probably won't be too bad for you, though. Just ask your brother," Brooke teased.

"Lucas and I have talked enough for one day, I think."

"What do you mean?" Brooke asked, eyebrows raised.

"Well, it appears that Lucas saw us last night in your bedroom. He was going over there to ask if you wanted to hang out, but you didn't answer the door. He let himself in and saw us kissing on your bed. He was pissed this morning, but we talked and he's okay with it now," Nathan explained.

"Great. This is just what I need. He's going to think I'm paying him back for what he did with Peyton."

"Are you?"

"Excuse me," Brooke replied, looking Nathan directly in the eyes. "Do you honestly think I would do something like that?"

Nathan thought for a minute. "No, Brooke. I know you wouldn't do that to me."

"Alright, now give me the ball. I get it first."

"Why do you get it first?" Nathan asked, not handing over the basketball.

"Because I'm a girl, I'm smaller than you, and I'm hot. Hand it over."

"Fine, but just because you're hot," Nathan teased, tossing the ball to Brooke.

"Okay, first one to ten wins," Brooke announced.

She dribbled to the left and ducked under Nathan's arm. She made her lay-up shot and cheered. Nathan grabbed the ball and took it to the top. He faked to the left and went right, making his own lay-up. He did his own cheer to which Brooke scowled at him for mocking her. Brooke took the ball to the top and shot from there, making it.

Half an hour later, the score was 8-8. Nathan had the ball at the top and was getting ready to shoot when Brooke lunged for him. They both fell onto the ground, Brooke on top of Nathan. The ball rolled off the court into the grass nearby. Brooke looked down at Nathan and smiled triumphantly. He just looked at her in shock.

"What the hell was that for?" he asked, trying to be mad. He was distracted by the cheerleader laying on top of him to be too upset.

"I don't like losing," Brooke said, shrugging. "Come on. It's not like I hurt you. And it's just a game, right?"

"Whatever, Brooke. Just feel lucky that I can't think right now," Nathan said.

"And why is that, Scott brother number two?" she asked.

"Because I have this really hot babe laying on top of me," he replied honestly.

"Well, that really hot babe on top of you is having a little trouble thinking, too. There's only one thing on her mind."

"What's that?"

"This," Brooke said before leaning down to kiss Nathan. They lay there on the concrete court, growing deeper into their kisses. Brooke pulled back as Nathan started to unzip her hoodie. "Nathan, we're in public. We so have to stop." Brooke was struggling to follow her own instructions while Nathan kissed her neck.

"Yeah, we should stop," he agreed. "I don't want to stop, though."

"Same here. Let's at least move it somewhere more private. Like my house," Brooke suggested.

"That sounds good to me. You gotta give me a minute, though. I don't think I can walk right now."

Brooke chuckled and kissed Nathan's forehead. "You calm yourself down over here. I'll go get the basketball." She jogged over to retrieve their ball. She shot from the sidelines, making a three point shot. "Oh, look. I win. I get to plan out our date."

"Should I be scared?" Nathan asked, slowly getting off the concrete.

"Well, your older brother went on a date with me once. He ended up getting drunk, getting a tattoo, and losing his virginity to me all in one night. It was fun, though," she told him.

"Yeah, that's enough Lucas sex talk for me. But at least I'm not hard anymore. That kind of killed it," Nathan said, starting to walk off.

"Hey, buddy. Wait for me." Brooke ran to catch up with him only to have Nathan bolt as soon as she got close to him. Brooke laughed and started chasing him. They ran all the way to Brooke's house. Once they were on the porch, Nathan grabbed her around the waste and pulled her to him. He started kissing her again, distracting her from unlocking the door.

"Nathan, we have to get into the house before we start anything," she explained, opening the door.

"Why? Let all of Tree Hill see us for all I care. Plus, it'll serve Felix right for flaunting that mall skag in your face last week," Nathan said, moving down to kiss Brooke's neck.

"Mmm. That's... very true, but.... Nathan, we have to go into the house. Look, the door is already open. All you have to do is take a couple steps forward," Brooke explained.

"Fine. Once we're inside, you have to lose an article of clothing, though. Deal."

"Deal," Brooke said, finally kissing him back. She pulled him into the house and slammed the door shut.

Next door, Felix was walking out of his house when he noticed two people run into Brooke's front door. Then he noticed the car in her driveway.

"Isn't that Nathan Scott's car? What the hell is he doing at Brooke's house?"


	10. Chapter 8 Preparations

Author's Notes: Okay, so far, the story has just been progressing naturally with time. I'm going to jump ahead a couple days. This chapter starts on Friday morning.

Brooke sat at the kitchen table drinking milk while she waited for Nathan to arrive. They had hung out almost every night that week and were going to have their first real date tonight. She had spent hours with Peyton the night before planning everything. She wanted it to be the perfect night for both of them. She sat there, thinking about how special Nathan made her feel and how great it was to hang out with him.

Brooke was startled out of her daydream when someone came up behind her and wrapped their arms around her.

"Hey, babe," Nathan whispered into her ear before kissing her on the cheek.

"Oh my God. You scared the hell out of me, Nathan! Never do that again," Brooke scolded him, turning to kiss him back.

"How did I scare you? It's not like I was quiet when I was coming in your door and walking in here. You were daydreaming about me, weren't you?" Nathan asked, sitting on the chair next to her.

"If you must know, I was just thinking about a couple details for this evening. I want us both to have a blast." Brooke got up and put her glass in the dishwasher. As she was walking towards the kitchen doorway, Nathan grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into his lap.

"I'll have a blast tonight no matter what we do, Brooke. We could sit at home watching reruns of The Real World and I would still have a blast. Do you know why?" Nathan asked.

"Why?"

"Because I'll be with you," Nathan told her, punctuating it with a kiss to her nose.

"Nathan, you're so sweet to me," Brooke replied, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him.

"Yeah, I know. I'm good like that. You ready to go?"

"Yeah, let me grab my backpack. I'll meet you outside," Brooke said, running into the living room.

Peyton and Brooke sat at the lunch table, waiting for the guys to join them.

"I am so excited about tonight, Pey. I just want Nathan to have a blast," Brooke said, not concentrating on her meal.

"He will, Brooke. But you're going way over the top. You're dropping way too much money on this date. I know you don't like to think about it, but you're not rich anymore. Where the hell did you get all the money from?" Peyton asked.

Brooke muttered something under her breath that Peyton couldn't hear. When Peyton told her to say it again, she replied, "I cashed in some stocks and bonds that my grandparent's gave me when I was a little girl."

"What?! Are you insane, Brooke Davis?! That money should be kept for your future! I cannot believe you, Brooke," Peyton scolded.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Yell at me tomorrow, okay? Just don't say anything about it. I don't want Nathan to know. Promise me you won't say another word, Peyton Sawyer," Brooke told her.

"Fine. I promise, but we are so having a talk tomorrow."

"Whatever," Brooke replied as the guys came up to the table and sat down.

Jake sat down next to Peyton, Nathan sat down next to Brooke, and Lucas sat between Nathan and Jake. (The tables are circular.)

"So, what's going on, girls?" Lucas asked.

"Not much," Brooke lied, leaning against Nathan who then wrapped his arm around her.

"We were just talking about Brooke and Nathan's date tonight," Peyton announced to the table.

"Must be nice to be in the loop. I'm going on this date, and I have no idea what to expect," Nathan said, eating his french fries.

"Welcome to the world of dating Brooke Davis. Enjoy," Lucas teased.

"Hey, buddy! I am a fun date. I just happen to like surprising people. I'm good at it," she told the group. "Give me one of those," she directed to Nathan. He fed her a french fry, and the group groaned.

"Okay, if you guys are going to start getting all sappy and feeding each other, we're going to kick you off the island," Jake joked.

"It's a table, dude," Nathan said.

"Yeah, whatever. We'll still kick you off," Peyton threw in.

"So... would this be sappy?" Brooke asked before taking Nathan's face in her hands and giving him a full open-mouth kiss in front of everyone. She pulled away and smirked at the small group of friends.

"You're evil," Peyton told her best friend. "Just evil."

"Yeah, I know," Brooke replied. She nearly choked when Nathan whispered something into her ear. Her face visibly reddened and she looked into his eyes with shock. He just smirked.

"Yes, everyone. That's my ex-girlfriend and younger brother. Life is grand," Lucas said, sarcasm in his tone.

"Stop brooding," Brooke said, "or I'll tell you what your brother told me to make me blush. You know it's bad if I blushed at it."

"I'll stop now," Lucas replied.

Brooke looked at her reflection. She smiled. Perfect. She was dressed in a pair of dark denim jeans with a twenty inch flare. It was topped with a North Carolina Tarheels baby tee that bared her stomach. She had chosen to wear the charm bracelet her mother had given her for her thirteenth birthday. Her hair was cascading straight down her back, and she chosen a light, natural look for her make-up. She had a small, black clutch purse and matching stilettos for her accessories.

She pulled out her cell phone and dialed. "Hi, this is Brooke Davis. I just wanted to make sure you were on your way," she said to the person on the other end. "Great. You're just on time. I'll be right out." She hung up and ran outside to the waiting car.


	11. Chapter 9 First Date

"I've arrived, basketball star! Get your hot ass out here!" Brooke yelled as she walked into Nathan's apartment.

Nathan immediately immerged from the bedroom. "Are you sure this outfit is alright, Brooke?" he asked, eyeing the clothes she had instructed him to wear.

"Of course. You match me, see?" Brooke said.

"Well, then it must be alright. God, Brooke, even in regular clothes you look breath-taking," Nathan said, pulling her against him and kissing her cheek.

"Well, thank you, Mr. Scott. You don't look too shabby yourself. Now come on, the driver's waiting," she said, tugging him out of the apartment.

Nathan stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the limo waiting in his apartment complex parking lot. "Are you for real, Brooke?! You got us a limo for tonight?!"

"Hell yeah. I ride in style, Nathan. This is a Brooke Davis date. You never know what to expect."

Brooke pulled him down the stairs and they got into the limo. Nathan smiled when he saw that she had arranged a small picnic in the back for them.

"I would've gone to a restaurant, but our destination will take us awhile to get to, so you'll just have to enjoy a little backseat eating," Brooke said as she opened the basket of food.

"Tell me you didn't cook, too?" Nathan asked, eyeing the gourmet meal she had stuffed into Tupperware.

"Ummm.... no. I don't want to kill us both. I do know a really awesome chef, though. I used to date her son. She even owns her own cafe," Brooke said.

"You got Karen to help you with this, too?"

"Of course. Everyone loves me, Nathan. Have you not realized that yet?"

The two had finished their meal and had carried on light conversation by the time they arrived at their destination.

"We're here, Ms. Davis," the driver said through the window.

"Thank you so much! We'll see you in a couple of hours. There's plenty of food left over if you'd like a late dinner," Brooke offered, handing some bowls up to the driver.

"Thank you. Enjoy," he said, as they got out of the limo.

Nathan stood in shock as he registered where they were. Brooke had actually had a limo drive them to Chapel Hill just to see the Tar Heels play the Terrapins. Overcome with happiness, Nathan pulled Brooke into his arms and swung her around.

"This is amazing, babe. Thank you so much!" Nathan exclaimed, setting Brooke back down on her feet and kissing her. The kiss lasted longer than expected, encouraging passers-by to cheer. Brooke just laughed and drug Nathan into the arena. They both enjoyed the game from their courtside seats. Nathan was so shocked that Brooke had done something this magnificent for their first date.

Once the game was over, Brooke and Nathan quickly retreated to their waiting limo and started the drive home to Tree Hill. Nathan looked over at Brooke and smiled.

"Thank you. That was amazing. Especially since North Carolina won. I mean, it was awesome. That was their highest scoring output ever against the Terrapins! That's the thirteenth game in a row that they've won! The last three times they've cracked the 100-point mark!" Nathan went on. Brooke just looked at him and smiled.

"So I think it's safe to say that you had a good time," Brooke teased.

"I have an amazing time, Brooke. I still cannot believe you did this. Did you even enjoy the game at all?" Nathan asked.

"Of course, I did. I do like basketball, you know. I don't just cheer for my health. Plus, it was worth it. Every time North Carolina scored, your face just lit up. It was nice for me just to see you have a good time," Brooke admitted.

Nathan pulled her into his lap and kissed her. "You are the most amazing person I've ever met, Brooke," he said once they broke apart.

"Well, you ain't seen nothing yet," Brooke said, pulling him back down to kiss her. The rest of the car ride was spent with the two in the back seat making out. Once they had arrived at Brooke's house, the driver had to honk the horn to get them to pull apart.

"Sorry," Brooke said to their driver. "Thank you again for being so great," she said as Nathan helped her out of the limo.

They walked into her darkened house, and Brooke quietly led Nathan upstairs to her room. Without a word, Nathan stripped down to his boxers and climbed in bed. He waited as Brooke changed in her bathroom. Once she climbed into the bed, Nathan kissed her good night and wrapped his arms around her. She snuggled into him and fell asleep.


	12. Chapter 10 Unexpected Visitor

Author's Notes: Okay, this takes place a week after their first date. I wanted to clear that up with everyone first. Thank you for the reviews. Keep them coming! I love them. To "l-a-c-18": You definitely are a good guesser in what will come in my story. That's all I'm saying.

Nathan stirred in his sleep, feeling someone kissing his bare chest. He moaned and he slowly woke up and looked down to see his girlfriend at work on his body.

Brooke felt his eyes on her and looked up at him. "Good morning, boyfriend," she replied in a sweet voice.

"Good morning, gorgeous. What ya doing?" Nathan asked.

"Playing. I woke up before you today, and I was bored," Brooke explained. She went back to work on kissing her way down Nathan' body.

"Oh, God. Brooke, I want you so badly," Nathan told her.

"I know, baby, but you know the rules. No sex until your divorce goes through. Just sit back and enjoy," she told him.

An hour later, the two emerged from Nathan's bedroom to get some breakfast. Brooke was wearing one of Nathan's shirts and he was clad in only boxers. They playfully tickled each other while they ate their small meal of cereal. As they were about to take their games back into the bedroom, someone knocked on the door. They both groaned in frustration.

Nathan walked to the door and opened it without asking who it was. He was surprised at who he did find.

"Haley?!" he said, surprised.

"Hi, Nathan. How've you been?" she asked, not noticing that he wasn't alone.

"I'm good. What are you doing back here?"

"Well, my parents called me. They told me that you had dropped all of my stuff off at my house. They also said someone delivered divorce papers there for me."

"Yeah, that's right. They were delivered a few days ago. If you came to sign them... you're at the wrong house. I don't have an extra copy. They said I wouldn't get one until you signed," Nathan explained.

"I'm not here to sign them. When my mom told me that you had filed for divorce, I got scared. I got so scared that I would lose you forever. I don't want that, Nate. I don't want to not be with you. I know that I made a mistake by running off with Chris. I was so confused. He swept into town and offered to give me the dream I've had since I was a little girl. I didn't know how to respond," Haley pleaded her case.

"Look, Hales, you screwed this up. I didn't do anything wrong... for once. It's not going to be fixed, though. I'm filing for divorce, and I want the papers signed. I want them signed soon. I'm moving on with my life. You left me for another guy, so you really have no say in my decisions anymore," Nathan said, walking back to stand beside Brooke. He put his arm around her waist.

Haley's jaw dropped when she saw them together. Brooke was standing there in nothing but Nathan's shirt. It was obvious that she had spent the night with her husband.

"Brooke? Oh my God. How could you, Brooke?! I thought we were friends!" Haley yelled.

"She didn't do anything wrong! How could you, Haley? We were married! And you cheated on me and ran off with some other guy. Don't you dare judge Brooke, because she has been nothing but good to me since you left. You need to look in a mirror and yell your nasty comments to yourself. I'm not going to stand here and have you insult my girlfriend in my house," Nathan warned her.

"Your girlfriend? Are you kidding me? I can see how she's been there for you, Nathan. One girl leaves your bed, so you run and find another one. You could've done better than Brooke Davis, though. It's not exactly hard to get her to bed," Haley started yelling back.

"That's enough!" Nathan yelled at his soon-to-be-ex wife. "You need to leave. Now. I don't want you here, Haley."

With that, Haley turned and walked outside. Nathan walked over and shut the door. He turned back to Brooke and saw tear streaks down her face.

"Baby, what's wrong?" Nathan asked as he walked over to her and pulled her into his arms.

"Nothing," Brooke shrugged. "It's just... Did you see the way she looked at me? No one has ever looked at me like that. No one has ever hated me that much. I know what people say about me, and I honestly don't give a damn. But it hurts coming from someone who I used to be good friends with."

"I know, baby. But she's definitely changed. She's not the same person that I married or that you were friends with. Don't worry. This will all be over soon. I'll have my divorce, and we can be together," Nathan told her as he stroked her back.

"Nathan, we're already pretty much together," Brooke said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, but I know that you'll feel a lot better once the papers go through, Brooke. We both will."


	13. Chapter 11 Encouraging Talks

Nathan and Brooke walked down the halls of Tree Hill High School together. It had been a couple days since Haley's return, and she hadn't been to school yet. Brooke was relieved they hadn't seen her since the morning she arrived back in Tree Hill. She really didn't want to deal with what could happen now that Nathan's soon-to-be-ex wife had come back to town.

She spotted Peyton at her locker, and pulled Nathan toward the blonde girl. "Hey, best friend," she said, hugging her.

"Hey, Brooke. Hey, Nate. How are you guys doing on this lovely day?" Peyton asked.

"You're way too cheerful to be my best friend. Why are you so happy?" Brooke asked, eyebrows raised.

"I'm just in a good mood. There's nothing wrong with that. Can't a teenage girl be happy?" Peyton asked.

"Yeah, a teenage girl can be. You can't be, though. It's not your style," Brooke replied.

"Well, it is from now on. I'm finally happy. Jake and Jenny are back, and things are going great," Peyton explained, unable to keep the smile from her face.

"Good for you. I'm glad that things are finally falling into place for you, Pey. You deserve to be happy," Brooke said, hugging her friend. "Well, we have to go to class, but I'll give you a call later tonight." Brooke and Nathan walked away from Peyton, going towards their last class for the day. "Nathan..."

"Yes, Brooke?" he asked, knowing what she was going to say already. He also knew that he couldn't deny her what she was about to ask.

"How about we just skip class today and go back to my place?" Brooke asked, smirking up at him.

"Sounds good to me, babe," Nathan said, pulling her against him and kissing her on the forehead.

The two started towards the parking lot. They were busy teasing each other to notice the pair of friends that was headed in their direction. Brooke looked up and saw Lucas and Haley a few feet in front of them. She nudged Nathan in the ribs to draw his attention to the pair.

"Hey, little bro, what's up?" Lucas asked.

"Not too much. How's it going?" Nathan asked, pulling Brooke instinctively closer to him.

"It's going good. We were just going to go get Haley's homework, so she can catch up with everyone," Lucas explained.

"Cool. Well, we're going to cut out of here early, so I'll talk to you later," Nathan replied, pulling his girlfriend away from the other couple.

"Gee, that wasn't uncomfortable at all, Nathan," Brooke teased.

"No sht. Both of our exes at once. How nice," Nathan replied, opening the car door for Brooke. She got in and waited for him to climb in the driver's side door.

"She's not your ex yet, baby," Brooke reminded him.

"It's only a matter of time, Brooke," Nathan said, reaching across the seat to take her hand. He pulled her to him and kissed her. Brooke melted into the kiss and sighed. She pulled away and rested her forehead against Nathan's.

"I know, Nate. I'm just not a patient person. I want it to be official, so we can be a real couple," Brooke said, looking into his eyes.

"We are a real couple, Brooke."

"Not to everyone else," Brooke told Nathan, looking down. "Nobody takes our relationship seriously except for us and Peyton."

"Who cares, Brooke? We know that we're serious. That's all that matters to me," Nathan said.

Brooke looked back up into Nathan's eyes. A slow smile crept to her face when she saw how he looked at her. She leaned up and kissed him again. "You're right. It doesn't matter what everyone else thinks. The only thing that matters is that I want to be with you."

"I want to be with you, too, Brooke Davis," Nathan said, kissing her again.

"Come on, stud. Let's go to my house. You can play when we get there," Brooke teased her boyfriend.

"Hell yeah," Nathan said, starting the car. They pulled away from the school, not knowing that someone had been watching them the entire time.

Haley walked into her parent's house and went straight to the kitchen, knowing her mother would be there.

"Hi, honey," her mother greeted her. "How was your first day back?"

"It was okay. I have a lot of catching up to do, but I'm sure I'll be fine in all of my classes," Haley replied, taking a seat next to her mother at the table.

"What's wrong, honey? You look so sad."

"I am sad. I really made a mess of things, Mom. Leaving Nathan was the stupidest thing that I have ever done. I mean, I knew it was wrong when I was doing it. I knew it was a terrible thing to do to him, but I didn't care. I just wanted to get away from Tree Hill and live my dream. If I had known that Chris randomly runs off with girls in every town he goes to, I definitely wouldn't have given it a second thought," Haley pouted to her mother.

"Haley, can I be completely honest with you?" her mother asked.

"Of course, Mom. We've always been truthful to each other."

"Okay. You're not going to like what I'm about to say, but it needs to be said. Haley... you screwed up. You ran away with another man while you were married. Your actions went against everything your father and I have ever taught you about right and wrong. Except for one thing... you followed your heart. Maybe it just isn't meant to be with you and Nathan. I know that it hurts to hear that, but if you had doubts for even one minute during your marriage then.... It just wasn't meant to be, Haley. Now, I have to go run some errands before your father gets home from work. Think about everything I've said. Think about what you have to do now," Haley's mother concluded, getting up from the table and leaving.

Haley sat there, replaying her mother's words in her head.


	14. Chapter 12 Signing The Papers

Haley saw the brunette walk into the cafe and immediately went over to her.

"Brooke," she said, catching the other girl's attention.

"Oh... Hi, Haley," Brooke stuttered, not knowing how the other girl was going to act towards her.

"Can I get you anything?" Haley asked, desperately looking for the words she wanted to say.

"No. I was just looking for Karen. I wanted to thank her for doing me a favor," Brooke explained.

"Well, she's not here. She had to drop off an assignment at the college. She should be back soon. We can talk while you wait for her," Haley suggested.

"Umm... okay. I guess I could wait for awhile," Brooke shrugged and took a seat. Haley followed her lead. They both sat in silence for awhile before it became too much for Brooke to bear. "What did you want to talk about, Haley?"

"Nathan," Haley answered bluntly.

"Look, if you're going to sit here and yell at me for being with him, then I'm just going to leave," Brooke said, standing up.

"Brooke, wait. I'm not going to yell at you. I promise."

"Fine," Brooke sighed, taking her seat again.

"Look, when I got back to town, I was surprised. I certainly didn't expect to find you and Nathan half-naked together. I was angry," Haley started. "Later I realized that I was angry with myself. I can only blame one person for all that has happened in the last few weeks. That person is me. I know that I made a mistake. It was a big one. I threw away my marriage over a measly fling. I have no right to take that out on you. Lucas explained some things to me earlier today. That's why I was so quiet when we ran into each other. And then I saw you and Nathan together in his car. I saw how he looked you and how he smiled hen you spoke. I could tell that you two aren't just having sex," Haley paused. "I signed the divorce papers today. My lawyer is finished up all the paperwork. I won't stand in your way, and I won't harbor any bad feelings. I just wanted you to know that."

Brooke sat there for a minute, digesting what she'd just heard. "Thank you, Haley. That means a lot to me. There's just one thing I want you to know, though. Nathan and I haven't had sex yet. As angry as I was at your for doing that to him, I still valued our friendship enough to respect that you two were still married. It would have been wrong. I may be a lot of things, but a home wrecker will never be one."

"I know you're not like that, Brooke. I value our friendship, too. I am so sorry for the things I said to you. I was hurt and confused. That's no excuse, I know, but I really am sorry. I want us to be friends again. I know it won't happen right away, but I would like it to eventually happen," Haley admitted.

"I think that can definitely be arranged, Hales," Brooke said with a smile.

Brooke walked into Nathan's apartment with a huge smile on her face. She couldn't wait to tell him about her conversation with Haley. She found him asleep on the couch, surrounded by school books.

"Nathan," she whispered into his ear. "Nathan, wake up. Your hot cheerleader has something to tell you."

Nathan stirred a little before opening his eyes. He smiled when he saw Brooke standing above him. She leaned down and kissed him, waking him up completely.

"Guess what," Brooke said as Nathan pulled her onto his lap.

"What, baby?" he asked.

"I talked to Haley. She apologized and said she signed the papers and gave them to her lawyer earlier today," Brooke told him.

"Oh my God. That's great, Brooke!" Nathan exclaimed, hugging his girlfriend.

"I know. We had a nice conversation. We even agreed that we will eventually find our way back to being friends," Brooke summarized her earlier conversation for her boyfriend.

"That's great, baby. I'm glad that you two got to talk things out," Nathan said.

"Same here. Now since I've given you the good news, what do you want to do?" Brooke asked.

"Well, I was thinking maybe we could go to a movie. We've been staying in a lot lately, and although I do love every moment I spend with you in a bedroom... we should get out a little bit tonight," Nathan suggested.

"Sounds like a plan, stud. We should probably leave now, so we can make a seven o'clock showing, though," Brooke said, getting up and grabbing her purse off the coffee table.

"Alright. Let's go."

The couple returned to the apartment an hour later. They had been kicked out of the theatre for making out too much. Both of them had just laughed and hurried out of the theatre, eager to return to Nathan's place.

They walked inside just as the phone was ringing. Nathan ignored it, busying himself with kissing Brooke. He had moved his kisses down to her neck when the voice on the answering machine came through the room loudly.

"Nathan, this is your lawyer Mr. Andrews. I just wanted to let you know that your divorce from Haley James is being finalized as we speak. Her lawyer and I got together tonight to finish the paperwork. I'll have your copy sent to you first thing in the morning. It was nice doing business with you. Good luck in the future."

Nathan stopped his kisses and looked into Brooke's eyes. She smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him to her.

"There we go, Davis. I'm a free man. Whatever will we do now?" Nathan asked, raising his eyebrows and smirking suggestively at the petite brunette in his arms.

Brooke's smile faded slightly. "Nathan, I was thinking... Well, I know I said that we could have sex after your divorce went through, but... I want to wait awhile longer, Nathan. Not forever, just... I don't want to rush into anything right now. I know that we'll be great together, but I don't want to make any mistakes that I have in the past. I have always jumped straight into bed with every other guy. I don't want you to be like every other guy, though. You're special. Our relationship is special to me. I... I just want everything to be perfect," Brooke finished, hoping he would understand.

Nathan looked down at his girlfriend and slowly smiled at her. "Baby... that's fine with me. I'm glad that you want everything to be perfect for us. I want that, too. We don't have to have sex right now. Just being with you is enough for me, Brooke. I'll wait as long as you want, baby. I know that you're worth it," Nathan told her. He bent down and gave her a peck on the nose.

"Thanks, honey," Brooke said, standing up on her tiptoes to give Nathan a kiss. This kiss, like all of their other ones, ended up lasting longer than intended. They eventually made their way onto the couch where they proceeded to have another one of their long make-out sessions.


	15. Chapter 13 Secrets And Hospitals

Brooke was jogging down the halls of Tree Hill High. Her locker had gotten jammed, and the janitor had to come open it. That alone took ten minutes, so she was already late for her math class. As she was turning the final corner, she heard familiar voices.

"Nathan, you have to tell Brooke," Peyton said. "She'll be more pissed when she finds out that you kept this from her."

"Trust me, Peyton, I know all about Brooke being pissed. I just don't want to upset her right now. We're so happy, Peyton," Nathan told his ex-girlfriend.

"Yeah, I know. She'll find out soon, though. You should be the one to tell her," Peyton replied as they both walked toward their class.

Brooke stood there, watching the two walk down the hall together. She was confused, to say the least. She knew that Peyton would never betray her like she had before, but it was obvious that Nathan was keeping something from her.

"Screw math class. I am so out of her," Brooke mumbled to herself as she headed for the doors.

Nathan walked into Brooke's house and headed straight up to her room. He walked in to find her sitting on the bed, flipping through a magazine. He gave her a quick peck and laid beside her.

"Where'd you go during school today?" he asked.

"Oh... I took a shopping trip," she said.

"Why didn't you call me? We could've hung out."

"I just had some stuff on my mind. I needed to clear my head," she explained.

"Is something wrong?" Nathan asked, worried by the tone of her voice.

"Of course not, baby. You'd be the first to know. I tell you everything," Brooke said, tossing her magazine to the side and laying to face her boyfriend.

"I know," Nathan started. "Look, baby, there's something I have to tell you. It's not that big of a deal, but you should know."

"What is it, Nathan?" Brooke asked.

"The other day-" Nathan was interrupted by his cell phone ringing. "Sorry, baby," he said to Brooke before answering it. "Hello." "Hey, dad, what's up?" "What?! Is she okay?!" "Yeah, I'll be right there," he said before hanging up.

"What's wrong, babe?" Brooke asked, sitting up next to her boyfriend.

"My mom crashed her car into a tree. She's in the hospital," Nathan explained, still shocked.

"Oh my God. Come on, babe. I'll drive you," Brooke offered, getting up and leading the way to her car.

Nathan and Brooke ran into the hospital and went straight to the nurse's station.

"Hi. I'm looking for Deb Scott. She's my mom. She was brought in awhile ago for crashing into a tree," Nathan quickly explained.

The nurse typed in a few letters onto her computer before talking. "She just got transferred into her own room on the second floor. Number 218. I believe your father is up there with her right now. You guys can go on up to see her."

"Thank you," Brooke said, trying to catch up with Nathan. He had taken off as soon as he got the room number. They caught up in the elevator. Brooke looked over to see Nathan's chest rising and falling at increasing speed. She slowly grasped his hand into hers and looked over to him.

Nathan looked down at their linked hands and then back up to his girlfriend's beautiful face. He pulled her to him and kissed her on the forehead. "Thank you, Brooke," he whispered into her ear, knowing she would understand.

The elevator doors opened, and they took off in the direction of Deb's hospital room. They saw Dan sitting outside in the waiting area. He immediately rose and went to hug his son.

"How's she doing, Dad?" Nathan asked.

"She's stable. The nurse is in there now, making her comfortable. She's still unconscious, but she should be coming out of it within the next few hours. A witness said that she was swerving to miss a dog, and she just lost control of the car. Good thing I own a car lot, because that damn convertible is totaled," Dan said, trying to lighten the mood.

Nathan said nothing. He just stood there, staring at the hospital room door, waiting for it to open. Brooke wrapped her arm around his waist and snuggled into him, offering what support and comfort she could. He rested his head on top of hers and closed his eyes, eagerly taking all she offered.

The nurse came out a minute later and told them that only immediate family was allowed to go in right now.

"I'll wait out here, baby. Go see your mom," Brooke told Nathan. She gave him a peck on the cheek before taking a seat in the waiting area.

Nathan and Dan both went in to see Deb. There were a few scratches on her face and her arm was in a sling. Other than that, she looked okay. Nathan took a seat next to her bed and grabbed her hand.

"Hey, mom," he said. "I'm sorry we haven't talked in awhile. I've been busy with school and everything, and I know that's not an excuse, but... it's the truth. You scared the hell out of me today, though. Now I know how you felt when I was six and broke my leg on the playground. Brooke made record time in getting here, though," Nathan paused. "Look, you have to wake up soon, okay? I have some great news to tell you and Dad. I know you'll be pissed if I tell him before I tell you, so wake up."

Dan looked at his son and smiled. He hadn't felt this much like family in a long time. Even though the circumstances weren't exactly the best, Dan couldn't control the happiness he felt. Nathan had rushed straight to the hospital when he had told him the news. Maybe there was a chance for their family after all.

Brooke sat in the waiting area, staring at the framed pictures that decorated the bare walls. Before Nathan's dad had called him, Nathan had been about to come clean about something. The deja vu feeling that crept into her stomach was enough to make her sick. "It's just like what happened with Lucas," she said quietly.

The hospital room door opened, and she stood up. Nathan walked out, his eyes tearing up. Brooke immediately walked over to him and hugged him to her body. She let him sob onto her shoulder, cradling his head to her. Nathan lifted his head and looked down at her. He grinned at kissed her, thankful that he had someone as special and caring as Brooke.

They walked down to the cafeteria to sit for awhile. When they returned, they saw Dan running out of the room, looking for a doctor.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Nathan asked, running up to his father.

"Your mother's waking up, Nathan. She's coming to right now," Dan explained.

Nathan ran into the room and smiled when he saw his mother stirring in her bed. He stood there as she slowly opened her eyes. She adjusted to her surroundings and noticed her son standing in the doorway.

"Na-" she tried to say. She coughed a little.

Nathan grabbed the pitcher of water off the table by her bed and poured some into a glass. He helped his mother take a drink and sat down beside her. Dan walked into the room with a nurse. The nurse checked Deb to make sure she was feeling okay and was comfortable. She quickly left the room, giving the family some privacy.

"Now you know why I never bought you a puppy," Deb joked. Her husband and son chuckled at her and smiled. Everything would be alright.


	16. Chapter 14 Shattered

Nathan and Brooke walked into the house, each carrying a present for Deb. She had been released earlier that day, and they had promised to come over and visit with her while Dan was at work. They walked back into the master bedroom and knocked.

"Come in," Deb said, begging for company to ease her boredom.

"Hey, mom," Nathan said as he led Brooke into the room.

"Hi, Mrs. Scott. How are you feeling?" Brooke asked, sitting at the foot of the bed.

"I'm doing great, thank you. It's so good to see you two," Deb replied, turning off the television.

"Good to see you, too, mom," Nathan said, leaning over to kiss her forehead. "We brought presents."

"Oooh, what'd you get me?" Deb asked, excitedly.

"Well, open it and see," Nathan said, handing her a bag.

Deb pulled out what was inside. Nathan had given her a deck of cards, a couple small puzzles, a bottle of Dasani, a teddy bear, and some head phones. "Nathan, this is great. Everything I'll need while I'm stuck in bed. Thank you, honey."

"Here. Open mine now," Brooke said, shoving her gift bag towards her boyfriend's mother.

She pulled out the contents, to find: a few mix CDs, some bottles of nail polish, a few romantic comedy books, a few fashion magazines, scented lotion, and some homemade chocolate chip cookies.

"Don't worry. I had Peyton help me bake the cookies," Brooke assured the older woman.

"Well, thank you very much, Brooke. This is definitely going to come in handy this week," Deb replied with a smile. The three of them sat in the bedroom and talked until Dan came home from work. Nathan and Brooke left, saying they needed to get a start on their homework.

Brooke walked into her empty house and ran up the stairs to her room. She collapsed onto the bed and sighed. Even though she had just spent an hour making out with Nathan on his bed, she still felt something tugging at the back of her head. She needed to know what Peyton had been talking to him about the other day at school. Brooke stood back up and ran outside to her car. She started the drive back to Nathan's house.

Haley was sitting outside on her front porch, reading a book. She was happy with how everything had been turning out since she had returned to Tree Hill. She had managed to not push everyone out of her life. Even though her and Nathan were now divorced, she was satisfied. She had realized too late that she wasn't old enough and mature enough to be married.

"Haley?"

She looked up as she heard her name, a smile gracing her face. The smile immediately disappeared when she saw who the voice belonged to.

"Chris. What are you doing back in Tree Hill?" Haley asked, putting her book down.

"I came back for you, Haley," Chris answered, walking up the steps onto the porch. He stopped before walking too close to the swing that Haley rested upon. "Look, I know that I cannot apologize enough for my actions, but I want to try."

"Chris, just stop. You don't even have to continue this conversation. There is nothing you can say to make me want to be with you again," Haley said. When Chris only looked at her in desperation, she continued. "Do you have any idea what I gave up to be with you?! I walked out on my husband! I ran away from my home town to go off with you. Then you are actually selfish enough to run off with some other random girl. Do you do this in all the towns you visit or was I just special?!" Haley asked, tears falling from her eyes.

"Of course I don't do that a lot. When I came to Tree Hill, I didn't expect to meet someone that I would end up falling in love with. Then I met you. And I fell in love. I totally fell for you, Haley. I never thought you would agree to come away with me, but you did. When we ran off, I was so happy. I've never been that happy. It scared the hell out of me, Haley. I know what you gave up to come away with me, baby. I know that that was probably the biggest decision in your life so far. I know it must have been hard, and that scared me. You gave up so much to be with me. I didn't give up anything. I was scared that I would never have enough to offer you. I was scared that I would never be enough for you," Chris rambled, explaining his actions to the woman he loved.

Haley just sat there, not knowing what to do. She looked back up at Chris and felt her head spinning. She got up and ran off the porch. She just ran, running to the only person she knew she could talk to.

Nathan opened the door and let a shocked expression cross his face.

"Haley... What are you doing here?" he asked, stepping aside to allow her entrance.

"I am so confused, Nathan. I know that you're still uncomfortable around me, but I didn't know where else to go. I don't know what to do," she said, shaking with sobs.

Nathan pulled her into a hug and held her while she calmed herself. Once she did, they sat at the kitchen countertop to talk. "What happened, Haley?"

"Chris came back to town. He stopped by my house just a little while ago. I don't know if you heard about what happened in New York, but... Let's just say that paybacks are hell and karma is a bitch," Haley answered.

"What do you mean?"

"Chris left me in New York. He ran off with another girl from another town. So I got what I deserved, I guess," Haley replied, not letting the tears that threatened to fall come out.

"Haley, he didn't leave just so you would _get what you deserved_," Nathan assured her. "There must have been a reason. What did he say to you tonight?"

"He told me that he left, because he was scared of what he was feeling for me. He said that he wasn't sure he could offer me enough. Nathan, I don't know why he would think that. I'm not a shallow person. I don't expect something from the people I love. I thought he knew me enough to know that. I just don't understand."

"Haley, I know that you're not shallow and greedy. You have to understand how it is for guys, though. A lot of us are really old fashioned when it comes to relationships. We want to be able to give everything to the woman we love. We don't want her to ever have to want something. We want her to have it before she realizes she wants it. Guys have insecurities about a lot of stuff concerning relationships. Sometimes they get the better of us," Nathan explained.

"I get that, Nathan. What I don't get is not being able to talk to the person you love," Haley explained.

"You mean, like you talked to me," Nathan said, using her mistakes as an example to make her understand. "Just think, Haley. If you would've talked to me, you could've saved everyone a lot of pain. You could have told me the truth about your feelings for Chris before it got out of hand. You didn't, though. And that's okay, because I'm over it now. But you have to see where he was coming from, because you have been there yourself."

Haley thought about that for a minute before replying. "You're right. You're completely right. Thank you, Nathan. Thank you for listening to me and helping me understand where Chris is coming from. I know it's still weird, but I really appreciate it," Haley said, leaning over to give her ex-husband a hug.

"No problem, Haley," Nathan said. "I'm glad that we're still friends, because I would never want to lose that. You can always come to me for help."

"Thanks again, Nathan," Haley said, kissing him on the cheek. She didn't stop there. She moved her head slightly and kissed his lips, teasing them with her own. She held his head to hers for a minute, before Nathan was able to pull away from her.

"Haley! What the hell?!" Nathan yelled at her, standing up from his chair and walking away from her.

"I'm sorry, Nathan. I don't know why I did that. I just got caught up in the moment, you know. So much has happened between us, and I just let it all come back for a second. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," Haley tried to explain.

"Look, I know you didn't mean for that to happen. But I also know that I'm with Brooke now and I'm happy with her. Really happy. I don't want to do anything to jeopardize our relationship. Haley, I am falling in love with her, and I won't ruin that," Nathan explained to her.

"I know," Haley said, smiling. "My God, Nathan, you should have just seen your face. I have never seen you smile like that before. Your eyes even glow when you're talking about Brooke. I am so happy for you. And her. She's an amazing person, and so are you. I am glad that you two are doing good. Well, I should definitely be going. I have to find Chris and talk to him. Thank you so much, Nathan. I'll never forget this."

"No problem, Haley. I'll see you in school. Good luck with everything," Nathan said, walking her to the door. Just as he was closing his door, he saw a blur of silver pull out of the parking lot and squeal tires down the street. "That's weird. That looks like Brooke's car," Nathan mumbled to himself.

Brooke ran into her room and collapsed onto her bed, her face streaked with tears and her body shaking uncontrollably with sobs.

She had just drove about sixty miles per hour to get home from Nathan's house. Seeing him kissing Haley had confirmed that her fears were true. He was cheating on her. It wasn't with Peyton, though. It was with his ex-wife.

"I should have seen this coming," Brooke said to herself. "They were married. Of course they still love each other. How could I be so damn stupid?! Brooke Davis. Cheated on again. Broken-hearted for the third time in one year. That has got to be some type of record." Brooke continued to sob into her pillows until sleep finally found her late in the night.


	17. Chapter 15 Misunderstandings

Brooke walked into the school building with her head high. She had cried herself to sleep last night, but woken up with a new look on life. Brooke Davis was back with a vengeance! She would no longer fall in love with guys only to be left broken-hearted at the end of their relationship. Clad in her leather mini skirt, red halter top, and matching stilettos, she walked through the halls of Tree Hill like she owned the damn school.

She stopped at her best friend's locker and waited for the obvious remarks to come from her mouth. They never did. Peyton looked Brooke up and down a few times, but only smiled at her. "You look hot, Brooke Davis. Nathan is going to love it," Peyton said, with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Nathan who?" Brooke asked. Before Peyton could respond, she saw him walking towards her. "Come on, Pey. We don't want to be late for first hour," Brooke said, dragging her best friend through the hall with her.

Nathan stopped when he saw Brooke take Peyton with her. He stood there, confused, until Lucas came up behind him.

"Come on, bro. We don't want to give our teacher an excuse to kick us out of class today. We're reviewing for our test," Lucas reminded his younger brother.

"Yeah, okay," Nathan replied, following his brother down the hallway.

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Nathan walked into the lunchroom and immediately made his way over to the table he always shared with his friends. He noticed that they were all looking at something across the room, so he followed their eyes. There, sitting among the entire football team, was his girlfriend. Brooke was practically in the quarterback's lap as she smiled and batted her eyes at all the players.

Nathan stormed over to the table and stopped in front of her.

"What the hell are you doing, Brooke?" Nathan asked, trying to keep his temper in check.

"I'm having lunch with some friends, Nathan. What does it look like?" Brooke asked, smirking up at him.

"It looks like you're hanging all over the football team while your boyfriend and friends watch," Nathan replied.

"Well, my friends love and support me through whatever decisions I make, because it's my damn life! And I don't have a boyfriend," Brooke said, the smirk off her face, her tone serious and dark.

"Then what the hell am I?!" Nathan yelled at her, causing the entire lunchroom to look at the arguing couple.

"I don't know, Nathan. Why don't you go ask your little ex-wife?!" Brooke screamed, getting up and running from the room.

"What?! Brooke, what the hell are you talking about?!" Nathan said, chasing after her and catching up in the hallway.

"I'm talking about your little secret, Nathan Scott! I know! I'm not stupid, you bastard!" Brooke screamed. She noticed that Peyton and Lucas had followed them out into the hallway. "Look, Nathan, just leave me alone. I don't want anything to do with you anymore," Brooke said, tears flowing down her face. "Just leave me alone!" With that, she took off down the hallway, Peyton running after her.

"What the hell just happened, Lucas?" Nathan asked his older brother, fighting back the tears that wanted to spill.

"I don't know, Nate, but it doesn't look good. What did Brooke mean about you having a secret?" Lucas asked.

"I have no idea. The only thing I've kept from her is that I'm leaving after graduation. I got a scholarship from UNC to play basketball there. They want me to move there before the summer, so I can start training with the team. That's the only thing I haven't told her, Lucas. I swear," Nathan explained.

"I believe you, Nate. Something had to have happened to make Brooke act this way, though."

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"Brooke, stop!" Peyton yelled, running over to the silver VW convertible. "You cannot drive while you're this upset , Brooke. I won't let you."

"Fine, Peyton. You can drive my car. Just get me as far away from here as you can," Brooke said, before jumping into the passenger seat.

Peyton took the keys and got into the driver's side. They pulled out of the school parking lot and headed towards Brooke's house. They both walked inside and sat in the living room. Peyton held her friend as she cried, waiting for her to tell her why she was so upset.

"I knew it was too good to be true, Sawyer," Brooke started. "In the back of my mind, I knew that it wouldn't last. I just wish that he would have had the guts and the decency to tell me to my face. I wish he wouldn't have gone behind my back with her. God, it hurts so much, Peyton." Brooke started sobbing again, unable to speak.

"Honey, what are you talking about?" Peyton asked.

"I saw him with Haley! They were in his apartment, making out! Brooke Davis once again loses her boyfriend to another friend. Why does this have to happen to me?! What did I do wrong?"

"You didn't do anything wrong, sweetie. Are you sure you saw him with Haley? That just doesn't seem like something they would do," Peyton said.

"I know what I saw, and I know what they did. I just have to forget him and move on," Brooke whispered.

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Nathan knocked on Brooke's door, getting no answer.

"Brooke! Open up! I know you're there! We need to talk!" he yelled through the front door.

He heard someone moving inside. A minute later, the door opened, revealing Brooke. She was wearing her velour jogging suit now. A huge change from the scandalous outfit she had worn to school that day. Her hair was down and her face was free of make-up. Her eyes were red and swollen, an obvious sign that she had been crying.

"What do you want?" she asked, hatred in her voice.

"I want to talk to you, baby. I want to know why you're so mad at me," Nathan said, looking into her eyes.

"That's nice. I don't want to talk to you, Nathan, so just leave," Brooke said, shutting the door.

Nathan's foot stopped the door from closing. Brooke only sighed in frustration. She looked up at Nathan, not wanting to deal with him right now.

"Just listen to me for a God damn minute, Brooke!" he said, getting aggravated by her attitude. "I don't know what the hell happened with us, but I know that you should stop acting like a child and just listen to me."

"Fine. Say what you have to say then get the hell out of my house," Brooke said, moving to allow him entrance. Nathan followed her into the living room and stood while she threw herself onto the couch.

"Okay, well, that's a start," Nathan began. "Look, baby, I honestly don't know why you are so upset with me, but I will do anything to make it better. I can't stand fighting with you, Brooke. I can't stand not being able to call you and hear your laugh. I have grown so attached to you that it kills me to spend the day without holding you in my arms and kissing you. I love you so much, Brooke. Just tell me what to do to make this better. Please," Nathan begged.

Brooke stared at him in shock. Nathan Scott was not the begging type. He was obviously upset, but she didn't understand why. If he was getting back together with Haley, why would he care about her? She looked up at him and noticed the tears in his eyes.

"I don't understand, Nathan. Why are you so upset? I thought I would be doing you a favor. Now you can get back together with TutorBitch and live happily ever after. It's what you wanted," Brooke said.

"What?!"


	18. Chapter 16 Confrontations

Peyton knocked on the door to Haley's house, tapping her foot. She was not in the mood to be kept waiting. She had gone to Nathan's apartment, but no one was there. She had decided to try the other deceitful person that had hurt Brooke. She sighed when the door finally opened, revealing the short brunette.

"Hey, Peyton. What's up?" Haley asked, walking out onto the porch.

"Oh, I wonder. I just found out why Brooke was acting weird today in school," Peyton explained. "Seems that she saw you making out with Nathan last night!"

"What?" Haley asked, shocked.

"Yeah, that's right. Look, I know that I messed up when I went behind her back with Lucas. I accepted the consequences and worked hard at repairing our friendship. But I never would have thought you would do that to her. Especially after you saw how hard she took it when I betrayed her. You were the person she turned to during that ordeal, Haley. Why would you do the same thing to her?"

"Peyton, you have to let me explain. I had no idea that Brooke saw me and Nathan kiss. I wish she wouldn't have, because it didn't mean anything. I was upset last night, because of some things that happened with Chris. I went to Nathan's, looking for a friend. We talked and I got caught up in the moment and kissed him. He pulled away from me and explained that he was in love with Brooke and didn't want to jeopardize their relationship. That's all it was. A mistake," Haley explained to the upset blonde.

"Are you sure that's all it was, Haley? I know that I really have no room to judge anyone, because of what I've done in the past. I'm just worried about Brooke. If you have any feelings left for Nathan, you need to tell me now. I will not stand by and let her get hurt again. I couldn't fix it the first time, but I will the second time," Peyton declared.

"Peyton, I do not have any left over feelings for Nathan. Sure, he'll always be my first love, but I've moved on." Just then a car pulled into Haley's driveway and a tall guy got out. "And there's my boyfriend now," Haley said, smiling when she saw Chris walk up to her. He kissed her on the cheek before nodding to Peyton.

"Oh, thank God," Peyton exclaimed, pulling Haley into a hug. "I'm so sorry that I was a bitch, Haley, but I had to make sure. I just don't want to see Brooke miserable again. I'll leave you two alone now, but I'll see you tomorrow in school." Peyton walked towards her car and pulled off towards her house. She had to call Brooke.

"What was that about?" Chris asked his girlfriend.

"Peyton is just crazy sometimes, baby," Haley replied, leaning up to kiss him.

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"Don't act like you don't know what I mean, Nathan," Brooke said.

"I honestly don't know what the hell you're talking about, Brooke."

"I saw you last night, Nathan. I saw you and Haley kissing. It confirmed my suspicions from last week," Brooke explained.

"What suspicions?"

Brooke sighed and started her story. "Last week, I overheard you and Peyton talking at school. She was trying to convince you to tell me a secret you had. You told her that you didn't want to ruin our happiness. I was going to ask you about it, but your mom got in her accident, so I didn't. Then last night, I went back to your apartment only to find you and Haley kissing in your kitchen. I was so shocked that I just bolted. I couldn't face either of you."

"Brooke, this all has been just one huge misunderstanding after another. You have got to believe me, baby," Nathan pleaded. "Look, last night Haley was upset about Chris so she came over to talk. Well, I helped her see things from a guy's point of view. She got caught up in the moment and kissed me, but I pulled away from it. I told her that I loved you and wouldn't let anything damage our relationship. And the conversation with Peyton wasn't about Haley. It was about college! UNC wants me to go there straight after graduation, and I told them that I would. I didn't want to tell you that I was leaving early, because you were so excited about having the summer together. That's all it was, baby. I promise."

Brooke was left speechless. Not only was she embarrassed by her earlier actions and jumping to conclusions, she was also floored by what Nathan had said to her. She let a small smile grace her face and looked up at her boyfriend.

"Nathan, do you know what you just said?" she asked, hope dripping from her mouth.

Nathan sat next to her on the couch and pulled her hands into his. "I know everything I just said, Brooke Davis."

"Did you mean it?"

"Every damn word," he replied.

"Nathan..." Brooke started, but couldn't finish. Tears of happiness streaked her face and she climbed into her boyfriends lap, resting in his arms and snuggling into his chest. A minute later, she looked up at him and smiled her dazzling smile. "I love you, too, Nathan Scott."

"God, I love you, Brooke. I really do," Nathan said before pulling her in for a kiss. The two sat there, kissing, holding onto each other until Brooke broke their kiss and stood from the couch.

She held her hand out for Nathan to take. He did and was pulled through the living room into the main foyer. Brooke led him up the stairs and into her bedroom. She shut and locked the door, just in case someone decided to stop by. Nathan sat at the edge of Brooke's bed, staring up at her.

"Brooke...." he whispered. "What are you doing?"

"Well," Brooke started, unzipping her hoodie. "I'm about to make love with my amazing boyfriend." She dropped the hoodie onto the floor at her feet before pulling her tank top over her head and letting it fall with the other garment.

Nathan stood up and walked over to Brooke. He pushed her hair out of her face and gently kissed her. "We don't have to do this, baby. I'm more than happy to, but I don't want you to feel obligated."

"I know, Nathan. I want to, though. I love you, and I want to show you how much," Brooke explained, leading him over the her bed. They both sat down and resumed kissing.

Soon, their clothes were in a pile on the floor and things were quickly heating up. Their activities were interrupted by a knock at Brooke's bedroom door. They both groaned but didn't move from where they were.

"Who the hell is it and what the hell do you want?!" Brooke yelled.

"It's me," Peyton said through the door. "I just got back from Haley's house and had to talk to you. Brooke, Nathan never betrayed you. You have to talk to him, okay?"

Brooke smiled up at Nathan and chuckled. He shrugged and continued kissing her neck.

"Peyton, we already talked," Brooke said.

"When?"

"A little while ago. And if you would kindly leave my home, we could finish making up," Brooke said, giggling as Nathan's mouth teased her skin.

"Oh my God. I am so gone," Peyton announced, running out of the house.

The couple in bed both chuckled for a minute before continuing.

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Brooke laid in her bed, her body draped across Nathan's. They were both sweaty and still panting. Their second round of lovemaking had proven to be even more exhausting than their first. Brooke sighed as she continued drawing patterns onto Nathan's bare chest as he played with her hair.

Finally, she propped her head on his body and looked up. Nathan smiled down at Brooke, genuinely happy with this moment.

"Hey, baby," Brooke said.

"What?"

"Earlier, you said that you were leaving for UNC early. Why?" she asked.

"Their coach offered me a full scholarship if I play for their basketball team. He wants me to go early so I can start training with them. Brooke, as much as I don't want to leave you, I can't pass up this opportunity. I have always wanted to play at UNC."

"I know, Nathan. That's why I want you to go. Don't worry about us," Brooke said, reaching over to pull something out of her nightstand drawer. She handed Nathan an envelope. "Open it. I got it in the mail last week."

Nathan pulled out the letter and laughed. "Brooke Davis, when were you going to tell me that you got accepted to UNC on a cheerleading scholarship?!" Nathan asked, laughing.

"Well, I figured I would wait until you got your letter from them. I have always known that you would make it there, Nate. I never once doubted it. That's why I applied there. I was just completely dazed when they actually accepted me."

"Why, baby? You have pretty decent grades, and you are an amazing gymnast. I now know from experience how flexible your body is," Nathan said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

Brooke only laughed at her boyfriend and leaned up to kiss him.

"So I guess this means you'll be accompanying me in moving to Chapel Hill early?" Nathan asked.

"Oh, I guess I could. I wouldn't want you to have to go and be all lonely without me," Brooke replied. "Plus, I know you cannot wait to show off your incredibly sexy and talented girlfriend to all of your teammates."


	19. Epilogue

Six years later...

Brooke sat in the doctor's waiting room, reminiscing on her relationship with Nathan. They had started out as friends and grown into more after they'd both been betrayed by people they loved. Now they had been married for two years with a beautiful, boy named Andon Nathaniel Scott, who was currently spending his first birthday at the park playing basketball with his daddy. They had decided to stay in Chapel Hill after Nathan ruined his knee playing for the New York Knicks. His career in the NBA hadn't lasted long, but it was enough for Nathan. He now spent his time as the head coach of the new varsity team at UNC. Brooke had been another story. She wandered aimlessly through college her first year, before it hit her what she was destined to do with the rest of her life. She had buckled down to study and was now on the UNC payroll along with her husband. She was the head counselor and advisor for freshmen students who needed help with adjusting. In her spare time, she helped coach the cheerleading team.

"Brooke Scott, the doctor is ready to see you," the nurse told her, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Thank you," Brooke replied, as she stood up and went into the doctor's office.

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Nathan carried Andon into the darkened house, listening to his son enthusiastically speak of their basketball game. Andon had beat his father into the ground and was very happy with his victory. As soon as the lights were turned on, various family members and friends jumped out from behind furniture with one, big, loud "Surprise!"

Andon's jaw dropped in shock and he began laughing. Brooke ran up to her husband and son with a big smile on her face. She kissed her husband quickly before taking her son out of his arms and squeezing him to her.

"Hey, baby. Did you have fun with daddy today?" she asked, kissing him.

"Yeah, mommy. I win at basetbaw," he said with his adorable toddler accent. "Mommy," Andon said, leaning in to whisper into Brooke's ear," are aw dese peopo here for me?"

"You betcha, sweetie! They're all here to celebrate your first birthday!"

"Yay!" Andon screamed, jumping out of his mother's arms and making his way around the room, hugging everyone.

Nathan came up from behind Brooke and wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned into her husband as they watched their son wrap all of their family around his chubby, little fingers. They smiled at each other before kissing once again.

"Hi, baby," Nathan said once they'd pulled apart.

"Hi," Brooke smiled up at him.

"Are you two done making out yet?" Peyton asked, coming up to them. She gave them both a hug hello. "Your son is going around ruining Nathan's reputation by explaining that he beat his daddy at basketball by twenty baskets," Peyton teased her friend.

"Little brat," Nathan said, going to chase his son.

Brooke laughed as she saw her husband chasing her son through the living room, both dodging people and furniture. Her life had turned out perfect. She was surrounded by all of the people she loved, celebrating her wonderful son's first birthday. And she had a surprise for her husband, too.

Peyton noticed the subtle glow on her friend's face as she watched her two favorite men. "Did you just realize how lucky of a little bitch you are?" she teased.

"I think I did, yeah," Brooke replied with a giggle.

"So what did the doctor say?"

"Two," Brooke replied, looking up at her friend as her jaw dropped in shock.

"Oh my God. Brooke, that's amazing," Peyton whispered, knowing her friend wanted to keep this a secret for awhile.

"Definitely more than I expected," Brooke laughed. "Leave it to my husband."

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Brooke and Nathan both went upstairs to tuck Andon into his new toddler bed.

"Did you have a good birthday, sweetheart?" Brooke asked, getting him into his pajamas.

"It was da bestest, mommy," Andon said, throwing his arms up in the air for emphasis.

He climbed into his little bed and snuggled under his basketball covers. His entire room was done like a basketball stadium, complete with a basketball hoop hamper hanging on the door.

"Good night, sport," Nathan told his son, leaning down to kiss him.

"Night, daddy," Andon replied, hugging his father around the neck.

"Night, birthday baby," Brooke whispered to her son before hugging and kissing him good night.

"Night, mommy."

Brooke and Nathan walked down the hall into their room after tucking their child to sleep and turning on his night light. Nathan collapsed onto the bed while his wife dug through her dresser, looking for something specific. She found it and chuckled.

"Be right back, husband," she announced, before running off into their bathroom to change.

Nathan just chuckled and stripped down to his boxers. He was tired after a day at the park, a party at his house, and cleaning up after the party. All of his drowsiness left his system once his wife walked out of their bathroom.

"You like?" Brooke asked, knowing the answer. She did a turn, showing him her entire outfit. She was wearing a black demi-cup bra that she was spilling out of, a pair of boy-cut matching panties, and black stiletto heels. Her hair was flowing down her back and her face was washed of any make-up that had been on earlier that day.

Nathan smirked up at her as she modeled for him. "I love it, baby," he said. "I'd love it even better if you were in this bed with me.

Brooke happily obliged his request and soon discovered that Nathan was no longer tired.

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They lay in the aftermath of their lovemaking, holding onto each other. As Nathan was about to drift off into sleep, Brooke looked up at him.

"Guess what," she said.

"What?"

"Guess first," Brooke teased him.

"Umm... you're running off with some Italian guy," Nathan teased back.

"Try again."

"You're running off with my brother?"

"God no! You're not even close. You are hopeless when it comes to guessing games, Nathan Scott," Brooke said, sitting up.

"Well, Mrs. Scott, you better hurry up and just tell me, because I'm about to ravage you again."

"Alright, fine. I had a doctor's appointment today while you were playing basketball with our son. He told me that we are going to be having twins soon," Brooke said with a big smile splitting her face.

Nathan's eyes enlarged in shock. "Are you serious, Brooke? Twins?"

"Yep, Nathan Scott. You've impregnated me again," she teased.

"Oh my God. This is amazing! Brooke, only you can make me this happy," Nathan said, before kissing his wife senseless. They were soon swept away into round two while their son slept peacefully down the hall. Their lives had turned out like no one had ever expected. They were happy.


End file.
